Broken
by piper maru duchovny
Summary: Sometimes the things that are broken aren't meant to be fixed. Callie/Owen continuance from the AU episode "If/Then".


**This started writing itself after Owen mentioned that Callie would take the kids and leave him if he hurt one of their children during the AU episode. I couldn't help myself and went ahead and wrote it. **

**Disclaimer: I stake no claims nor do I seek to earn money from anything remotely recognizable. **

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><p>Her heart stops when they page her to the ER with a 911. She has made the run a thousand and one times before but something about this one is making her heart palpitate and her palms sweat. Something is not okay. Something is very, very wrong. The elevator doesn't seem to be moving fast enough and she hops out on the third floor and takes the back staircase steps two at a time like she did during her intern year but now she's in heels and praying she doesn't trip. When she enters emergency with plain view of the trauma bay her heart stops for a full beat.<p>

An intern is standing by the doors with Gavin and Angus crying hysterically in her arms. "Doctor Torres."

"What happened?" She chokes on the words as she stumbles forward to find her precious baby Allegra on the gurney crying out in pain from a contorted arm and a battery of bruises.

Her arms reach automatically for her sons as the intern explains, "Doctor Hunt brought your daughter in after some kind of accident. Doctor Shepherd has him in the viewing room."

Part of her wants nothing more than to race to her baby's side and calm her but right now she needs answers as to how their sweet, goofy four year old got to be in such a state. "Boys, I'll be right back. Stay here, okay?"

"Mama, Allie." Gavin mumbles around his thumb with a voice thick from tears. "Daddy hurt Allie."

She closes her eyes for a brief second to gain some kind of equilibrium. "Mama's gonna take care of it, baby. Promise."

Angus grabs his brother's hand and they bury their faces in the legs of the intern.

She turns on her heel and stalks into the x-ray viewing room as her blood begins to boil. Her hand collides with the door and she throws it open with a strong shove; her hands might have been meant for healing but she had no doubt they were capable of murder. Owen was slouched against a table with the most defeated look on his face. "What did you do?"

"Callie, please." He begins and Derek moves to intercept but she fixes him with a glare.

"We're done, Owen." That's the only words she can manage. "She is a four and she laughs and she blows bubbles in her milk and she adores the ground you walk on."

"Cal."

She's in his face and can't bring herself to wrap her hands around his throat as she rants. "How could you hurt our baby girl? Sweet, innocent, goofy Allegra who adores you."

"I didn't mean to!" His voice is loud; gravelly and controlling in a way that scares her. "She was... she kept asking for candy while I was trying to fix lunch for the boys and I just closed my eyes for a second and she must have grabbed me and I-"

The palm of her hand collides hard with his face. "No! You do not get to blame her. She is a four year old, Owen, and you're her father! PTSD does not excuse this!"

"Callie, please. You know I love them."

"Then go and tell them you love them and that you're sorry because this is the last time you're seeing them until a judge says otherwise."

Tears are flowing freely from his eyes and Callie can't look because if she does... if she does then she will forgive him like she did when he gave her the black eye or when he pulled a knife on her on their vacation last month. She'll forgive him because she loves him and he loves her but he's not the man she married. Not anymore. And she can't stay married to a man who could hurt their daughter. "Callie, please. Cal... don't take them from me."

Her resolve settles. "I had one rule, Owen, one thing that could make me handle all of this and it was that you never hurt our children. You blew it. You took them from yourself when you broke Allie. Go say your goodbyes then gather your things and get out of my house. Go get help if you ever want to see them again."

"I'll do it. I will. I'll get better."

She nods but keeps her eyes downcast. "Go, Owen. Now."

And he leaves.


End file.
